


Living on a Prayer

by britin_sterek



Category: Entourage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-05-14 10:44:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5740675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/britin_sterek/pseuds/britin_sterek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>E's been keeping something to himself for a while. The truth finally comes out thanks to Turtle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Living on a Prayer

Vince was laying in to E once again with Turtle, Johnny, Ari and Shauna all at the kitchen table.  
'You're ruining my career E!' Vince said.  
E was a lot more pale then normal and growing paler each second the argument passed. 'I'm ruining your career?! I'm working my ass off to build it!'  
'Oh really?! Well--' Vince was about to dig in to him when Turtle stood up.  
'Vince enough! He's killing himself trying to better your career. Can't you see that?!'  
'Turtle dont, you promised!' Eric shook his head at same time that Vince went to continue his rant.  
Vince stopped mid rant as the words registered, 'Wait promised what?'  
'Turtle please!' Eric begged Turtle giving his best puppy dog eyes.  
'No, you know what Eric?! I did promise but I crossed my fingers and you're not living up to your end of the deal.'  
'Eric??' All voices rang out in shock. Turtle never called E eric that was usually reserved for Ari.  
'You must be in real shit if Turtles calling you Eric.' Ari stated.  
'What deal?' Johnny asked getting more confused by the second.  
'You think I don't notice you throwing out johnnys meals and how you're up all hours of the night? Our deal was I keep my mouth shut if you take care of yourself during this whole thing.' Turtle ranted.  
'What whole thing?' Vince asked.  
'Ya, Turtle what the fucks going on?!' Shauna asked angrily.  
Eric and Turtle stared at one another.  
'Will one of you fucking say something?!' Ari yelled.  
'E, if you don't tell them, I will!' Turtle told him exasperated. ' I can't keep doing this by myself.'  
'Doing what, Turtle? You literally found out by accident and I haven't asked you for a thing besides not telling anyone since!'  
'You're one of my best friends it doesn't matter if you asked me but I feel responsible for helping you get better-'  
'Better?' Johnny asked confused.  
Turtle continued, 'I just can't do it by myself anymore. They deserve to know and if all of us know theres a support system in place.'  
'OK what the hell are you guys talking about?!'Vince yelled completely forgetting the fight him and E were about to get in to five minutes ago.  
'What we are talking about is your career,'  
'Fuck my career right now. There's nothing that means more to me then you Johnny and Turtle, E and you know that now tell me what the fucks going on.' Vince demanded.  
'Ya, I would like to know that too.' Ari stated.  
'Ya, me too' Shauna and Johnny echoed.  
'Vince,' E said tiredly.  
'Spill, E' Vince said.  
'OK but you can't get mad at Turtle for knowing I made him promise when you working on your movie that he wouldn't breathe a word'  
Vince glanced over at Turtle, 'You mean the movie that finished filming two weeks ago? I will decide who and what I get mad at after I hear the whole story.'  
Turtle sighed and sat down knowing this could mean trouble for him but glad that things were finally getting out in the open.  
Eric sighed knowing he couldn't ask much more than that and started. 'OK a couple months ago I started getting headaches right after I broke up with Sloan but I didn't think much of it I figured it was just because I was stressed. So the headaches went on for a month before I thought to make a doctors appointment.'  
'It must've been serious if you made a doctors appointment, E you hate the doctors.' Johnny questioned.  
'Ya, E why did you finally make a doctors appointment?' Turtle asked knowingly. Vince glanced back and forth between  them.  
Eric looked at Ari,  'You remember that argument we had on the phone about a month ago?'  
'Not really E we have a lot of arguments.' Ari chuckled.  
'Well right after I got off the phone I passed out because of my headache and knew I had to get it looked at.'  
'What?!' Vince yelled.  
Johnny calmly asked ' What did they say E? How did turtle find anything out?'  
'Turtle found out three weeks ago when we were having a conversation in Vinces trailer and I got one of my headaches and passed out.'  
'OK but what's wrong with you E?' Shawna always the rational one asked.  
'I had a few tests and it came back that I have a brain tumor.'  
The room was in a shocked silence for 30 seconds before questions were being fired from all parties.  
'You're going to be ok though right?'Vince.  
'Why didn't you tell me? Do you know what a publicity nightmare this will be if people find out Vincent Chases manager has a brain tumor!' Shauna.  
'Screw the publicity nightmare! What are they doing to cure you?' Ari asked.  
'What does Turtle mean you havent been eating or sleeping that stuff would help you with your recovery E! I'm going to look up recipes that will help with brain tumors. Fuck this brain tumor E it's going down.' Johnny told him.  
' Ya E what are they doing to cure you?' Turtle glared at eric.They were caught in another staring contest.  
'Shauna, I swear it won't be a problem I told them discretion and anonymity is key. Thanks Johnny you're a real pal. As for the cure I haven't discussed it with my doctors yet I wanted to make sure vinces career was doing ok before I did anything'  
'What the fucks wrong with you?!' Vince and Ari yelled at Eric making him jump.  
E looked over at Turtle who shrugged and said ' I told you he'd be pissed.'  
'Ya you know what I'm pissed at both of you. I'm pissed at you turtle for making that ridiculous deal as soon as he passed out in front of you, you should've told me and Johnny. As for you E, my career means nothing without my family which you know you should've came to us as soon as you started getting headaches. If I thought for a second you would jeapordize your health being my manager I would've never hired you. Now what you're going to do is call your doctor and the four of us are going in tomorrow to discuss your treatment options and what we should be doing to help you . Got it?' Vince took charge of the situation.  
'Vince-'  
'Unless the next words out of your mouth are got it or yes vince I don't want to hear it'  
Eric sighed 'yes vince' and got up walkong away pulling his cell phone out of his pocket to call his doctor.  
'Vince-' Turtle started.  
'We will talk about it later tonight turtle' Vince told him. Turtle sighed and nodded.  
Eric walked in to the kitchen.  
'What times the appointment?' Vince asked.  
'They can't get me in until next week.'  
'Fuck that give me your phone' Ari said and called doctor five minutes later after swearing at every receptionist in the doctors office he told Eric the appointment was for the next morning at 10 am.

Next morning

Vince and Turtle had a long chat after Eric and Johnny went to sleep. Turtle explained to Vince the tough spot E had put him in. Vince sympathized with Turtle and told him not to keep secrets like that anymore especially when it jeapordizes one of their brothers health. Turtle felt that what he was doing was the best at the time until he noticed E wasn't eating or sleeping which worried him greatly. The stress of knowing by himself for three weeks and trying to take care of E finally caught up to him and he started sobbing. 'We cant lose E, Vin, we just can't.'  
Vince assured him that they wouldn't and let Turtle cry on his shoulder for a good hour before they finally went to bed prepared for the next morning appointment.  
After the trip to the doctors which Johnny Turtle and Vince threw question after question about E's condition and what to do to help him. It was discovered that he would have to do radiation to shrink the size of his brain tumor before a surgery could be scheduled. To keep up his strength during radiation he would need to be eating and resting which Turtle, Johnny, and Vince all promised the doctor they would make sure he did.   
As they left the doctor said, 'See, Eric I told you a support team was very important and you seem to have just the guys to help you through this.'  
Over the coming weeks Eric went through radiation which made him sick and cranky. Johnny and Vince made it their mission to get him to eat his meals.  
Eric sat down at kitchen table with his head on his crossed arms and his eyes closed.  
'Wakey wakey E! I got just the thing for you some nice colourful fruit, whole grain toast and a smoothie!'  
'Appreciate it Johnny but I'm really not hungry.' Eric told him pushing the plate of food away.  
Vince tsked coming in the kitchen, 'You know the rules E you refuse to eat at least a little of something Johnny places in front of you we all sit here until it's completely gone.' Vince looked at E expectantly.  
'Vince I'm just really not feeling well today cut me some slack please.'  
'You're going to continue not feeling well if you don't eat E we've been through this. You're losing way too much weight.'  
E sighed and picked up a blueberry off the plate 'Happy now?'  
' Ecstatic' Vince replied.  
Half an hour later they were still at table waiting for E to finish his food when his phone rang, Eric pulled it out of his pocket when Vince cleared his throat holding his hand out E handed it to him and continued to pick away at his food.  
'Hey Ari,'  
'Vince? Why are you answering the phone also we were supposed to be in a meeting 5 minutes ago.'  
'sorry Ari we are going to be little bit late we are waiting on E to finish breakfast'  
'Ah still hasn't learned eh?' Ari had the pleasure of being with the entourage at a restaurant  when Johnny and Vince forced Eric to finish his whole meal after he told them he wasn't that hungry and didn't know if he could eat any of it when the food arrived. They had literally sat there for 3 hours before E finally finished. 'How's the kid doing anyway? He going to be up to the meeting today? We can reschedule if you want.'  
'E, Ari wants to know if you'll be up to the meeting today'  
'Tell him I'm sick not a fucking invalid we will be there soon' he picked up the pace on eating.  
'He's already feeling better I can tell. Love when he bites my head off like that.' Ari chuckled.  
'Yeah me too see you soon Ari.' Vince hung up as Eric was finishing his breakfast.  
'OK what times radiation at again? And who's going today?' Turtle asked.  
'3 30 and I don't need a babysitter I can go on my own'  
'Ya I'm sure you can, hotshot. However we made a pact at the beginning of all this one of us goes with you to every session and you can't exactly drive yourself there and home can you?' Vince explained rationally.  
'ya that's true besides it's my day to go anyway.' Johnny told them. The guys hated to see eric suffer the way he did throwing up and such. They were usually pretty good about meals after sessions they let him get away with eating an apple as long as he agrees to a big breakfast the next day.  
Vince was worried that Eric hadn't come to terms with the brain tumor yet. He didn't really show any emotions about it and Vince knowing eric as well as he did knew the inevitable breakdown would be coming soon enough which is why Vince liked to keep him with one of the three of them so he wasn't alone when it happened.  
Two nights later after a particularly bad day for eric the four of them sat around a campfire in the backyard sharing Turtles weed.  
'E you've been quiet what's going on in that head of yours, pal?' Johnny asked.  
E continued to stare at the flames as he spoke with tears in his eyes, 'Where do you think you go when you die?'  
All three of them sat up straight 'E you're not going to die' Turtle said shaken up.  
'OK for arguments sake let's say I do. we always look at everything from every possible angle. I know you guys don't want to talk about it but I need to. Where do you think I'd go when I die?'  
Johnny was the first to come out of his shell shocked state, 'You know what E I think you'd go somewhere great where the only thing you would feel was happy I think your old dog lucky would be there to greet you and he'd hang out with you to keep you company until the three of us reunited with you.'  
'That sounds great,'   Vince said solemnly.  
Tears started running down E's face 'I don't want to die.' he wiped his face with the back of his hands. 'God I'm such a pussy. I'm sorry.'  
'Don't do that E don't ever apologize for telling us how you feel. We are your family and you can say whatever you want whenever you want.' Turtle explained.  
Vince got out of his chair and knelt in front of eric, 'Look at me,' E continued to stare at fire, 'E look at me and listen to me. You aren't going to die. You're one of the strongest people I know, you are going to fightthis and we are going to be right there next to you. But this trying to weasel out of sleep and eating has got to stop, it's only going to make things worse. You hears the doctor if you eat properly and rest lots it's only a matter if time before it starts helping your condition. Now I need you to repeat after me. I am not going to die I am Eric Murphy I am strong enough to beat this.' Vince started.  
E looked at him then around at Johnny and turtle and for the first time since his  diagnosis he honestly believed he could beat this. He repeated what vince told him to and knew with these guys by his side he would get through whatever came his way.   


End file.
